The Fly Capital of the World

Whew, this is three posts I’ve written today.  I’m worn out.  I think I need a nap.

Today’s Exploit:

This place is the fly capital of the world, I think.  I shoed 7 out the door, killed 10 and still had 17 buzzing around my head and landing on my cinnamon rolls.  

Gross.  

And that’s inside.  

Outside...

Mostly it’s ok because the wind is blowing at a hurricane force gail most of the time.  It’s nice because it’s some movement of the air in this incessant heat.  And it keeps most of the creepy-crawlies away.

But,

In front of our trailer, the one that is hiding behind the other crew trailer.  There was a sewage leak, and the other trailer shelters it from the wind.  

The flies gather in swarms.

Gross.

The After Party, Breakfast Style

When I got back to this rig one of the first people I saw was my friend Joseph.  

Joseph:  I haven’t seen you in forever!

Me:  It has been a long time.

Joseph:  I’ve been crying every day since you left.  That’s why I’ve lost so much weight.

Me:  Hahaha

This kid weighed about as much as a toothpick the last time I saw him.

Today’s Exploit:

After dancing and putting away chairs, one of the guys I danced with came and asked if I would be Facebook friends with him.  I agreed because he said he’d be posting all the local dances, and that might come in handy.  

He also invited me to breakfast.  

A large group of dancers goes to a nearby Denny’s to eat after dancing, those who feel up to more socializing after the night is over.  

I had nothing better to do, so I agreed.  

It was an experience.  I forgot how crazy those kids can be.  And I used to be one of them.  

The had napkin wars, and played musical chairs and laughed a lot.  I also learned about 472 versions of Spiderman, including Spider-pig whose alternate identity is Peter Porker.  I learned about the problems of all computers, and how most of these kids build their own.  

Also, for the first time in my life I was not in the minority when I said I didn’t have a TV.  It was amazing.

It was fun.  I was in stitches most of the time.  

I met a kid named Chris-Matt, I’m not sure which is his actual name.  He seemed to be in the process of changing it.  

I also met Elliot, Ben, Emily, Ray, Andre, Ariel and many others.

Way to many to remember all the names.  I think I did pretty well with that 6.

Dancing the Night Away

Yesterday I made cinnamon rolls.  When I took them to the rig floor the crew actually cheered.  

Today’s Exploit:

I went dancing last weekend.  Swing dancing.  It was very exciting.  I haven’t been swing dancing in ages.  

This dance was in Dallas, and it lasted from 8:00 - 11:59 pm.  Lots of people were there.  Some really amazing dancers were there, too.  It was fun to watch.  

Being a newbie, I sat on the wrong side of the room to see them very well.  Most of the “in” crowd sat and danced on the other side of the room.  

I also danced a lot.  And had lots of people ask if I’d been to this dance before.  They were amazed when I said no.  Most of this amazement stems from another girl that apparently looks like me.

Some people were amazed because I could follow, and were a bit too dense to realize that my first time at this dance didn’t necessarily mean my first time dancing. 

At any rate, I think I made some new friends.  Certainly lots of new acquaintances.  I hope to be able to see them again.  And sit on the “cool people” side of the room so that I can see them better.

Wow, They Were Big

I went dancing tonight.  I think I made some new friends.

Today’s Exploit:

After dancing and “breakfast” I went to a hotel.  I checked in and went to my room.  I got ready for bed and got ready to take my contacts out.  I didn’t have a case.  

So I got my room key and my car key and went down to get one.  

On the way back I pushed the elevator call button and waited, staring vacantly at one of the posters.  The elevator binged and I went to the door that sounded.  

The door opened.

Me:  Wow.

The elevator had 5 gigantic guys filling the entire space.  Gigantic guys in black suits, being very imposing.

Guy 1:  It’s ok, we’re security.

Me:  There’s a lot of people in this elevator.

Guy 2:  No, really.  We’re security.

Me:  Ah, I see.

Guy 1:  We’re off duty security right now.  So you’re on your own.

Me:  Haha, Rats.

Guy 3:  Not really, we got ya covered.  

Me:  Aww, thanks.

Guy 1:  We got ya until our floor.  

They were very nice and excited to be off and going home.  They chatted and joked and eventually bounced off to their vehicles. 

It was an average elevator, that could probably hold 12 - 14 normal sized people.  But with those 5 guys it was almost claustrophobic.  

Wow, they were big.

It Made Blinking Really Awkward

I’m being lazy again.  I’d rather make Banana Bread than write stories.  

But I’ll have some new ones soon.  Hopefully

Today’s Exploit:

Today I went to the eye doctor to get a new prescription for contacts.  

It was the first time the doctor ever did anything besides make me read the letters on the mirror (I examined the source of the letters, the projector.  They have it bouncing all over the place before it gets to the mirror that you’re supposed to read it from) and go through the torture of having puffs of air directed at your eye.  They always get irritated with me because I can’t keep from blinking when they do that.  

She gave me some eye drops that were supposed to numb my eyes for 5 minutes.  Then she stuck this glowing stick into my eye.  It made my vision go all rippley.  

The doctor turned to write down the information that the glowing stick had gathered.  That was when I noticed that the eyedrops had made my tear ducts feel swollen.  Rather like having Novocain in my mouth.  They felt so swollen it was awkward to blink.  

I waited the requisite 5 minutes.  

Nothing changed.  My eyes still felt funny.  And they were RED.  As red as that time that I had a wacky hay-fever reaction and my face swelled up.

I went through the sample-contacts procedure, and I paid twice because the girl messed up her addition.  Then I asked for all the information on a card and the girl decided I also needed some contact solution and a bag for all my treasures.

My tear ducts still felt the size of marbles.  

The Novocain feeling lasted for about an hour.  It was a very long hour.  

The “Duck” Boat Ride

I played frisbee last night.  Does that make up for not doing plyometrics?  I think it hurt worse than the plyomentrics.  I am sore from my shoulder blades to my heels.  And I have to do pull ups today.  Ouchie.  

By the way, this is week 6!

Also, last night there were some dogs at frisbee.  One wanted to chase the frisbee the entire time, one licked the sweat off anyone who would stand still long enough, and one ran laps around the field the whole 2 hours.  

Today’s Exploit:

We were sitting in the Devon Roughneck Pavilion watching the geese and ducks and kids chasing them when we noticed the pedal boats.  They were great big swans.  Gigantic.  

For as big as this thing was it didn't cast much of a shadow.

One of us commented on them, then we promptly forgot.  We were distracted by the too-sweet lemonade and the cotton candy.  We each had as much as we wanted.  The Cupcake put it away to take on the plane with her.

After a few minutes she decided she wanted a picture with her cotton candy, for posterity or something.  

She took a huge bite, like she was eating a chicken leg.  And I took a picture.  Then I started recording her as she attacked the fluff as though she’d been starving for years.  It was hilarious and rather disturbing, considering how terrible cotton candy actually tastes.  

After that she decided we had to get tickets for the pedal boats.  Probably because she just ate half a ball of sugar fluff.  So we got one.  And they only let us play within a very small perimeter, but it was enough and our “duck”, as Cupcake kept calling it, didn’t like to turn left. 

We could really spin those circles to the right. 

We went forward and backward and in circles.  We tried to play chicken with other “ducks”, but they were all to chicken.  

We stayed out there the full 30 minutes.  Actually we were out for 32 minutes, but no one complained.  Then Cupcake talked the kid helping people out of the boats to take a picture.  

And then we went home so she could pack.  

The End.

Cupcake and the Statues

I find new fun things on my computer nearly every time I use it.  I think I might have to try out the business card template today.

Also, I’m going to play Ultimate today.  I’m so excited.  I haven’t played in ages!

Today’s Exploit:

The other day, Cupcake’s last day here, we went to the zoo.  

We saw a baby elephant.  It was only 1 month old.  

"I love you mama"

And a baby chimp playing and showing off for a small crowd.  And baby ducks and geese.

Just so you know, I'm about to fall off this platform.  That's why I'm embarrassed

Turns out the baby ducks and geese are the most rare at the zoo because the catfish eat them.  Yikes.

And Cupcake had to have her photo taken with all of the animal statues we found.

She didn't even cringe at the bird sculputres

Yee haw?

I have a whole lot of these pictures.  With lions and tigers and bears.  

And elephants and giraffes and turtles.  And monkeys.  I think her favorite part of the day, besides learning that flamingos quack like ducks, was posing with the statues.  

And maybe attacking her cotton candy.  But I think I’ll tell that story another day.

She Laughed Until Her Eyes Cried

I got a sunburn on my forehead today.  Ouchie.  Just enough that it’s not really noticeable, but it hurts.  And 3 triangles on my back.  You missed some too, Cupcake.  

Today’s Exploit:

The first day my sister came over she asked if she could see my new computer.  

By the way, I got a new computer.  I love it.  I hate it.  We mostly get along.

She was looking at all of the icons and found the Photo Booth one.  Naturally she had to open it, just like I had.  And she saw the experimental photos I had taken using the effects available. 

She laughed until she cried.  

Then she had to take some also.

She kept laughing and crying.  She also couldn’t make it through the countdown to the photo without laughing, so all of the pictures have her laughing hysterically.

Over the course of her stay we took nearly 50 photos trying out different effects and angles.

Every time she laughed until she cried and got the hiccups.  

She Claims We ARE Twins

I just made it through my 5th week of P90x.  

I still get sore every day.

Today’s Exploit:

I met my sister at the Denver airport and we had the same flight to Oklahoma City.  We didn’t get to sit together because we got tickets separately, but that was ok because I think we both slept most of the trip.  

When we arrived I waited until she was free to get off the plane before I did.  As we exited the plane to the gate one of the flight attendants looked at me, a little in awe, and asked if we were twins.

It reminded me of the time we were in Encampment for a concert by an acquaintance. We went up to the bar because she wanted a drink.  (She was underage at the time.)  The bartender, either flirting with her or in awe, asked if we were twins.  

Cupcake:  Yep!

Bartender:  Wow!

Cupcake:  And only the younger one needs to show ID, right?

Bartender:  Sure.

Cupcake:  Ok PJ, show him your ID.

She got away with this, even though our parents were right outside the door.  And we went back to sit with them.  She claims she felt guilty since they were there, but not enough to waste the drink.

Conversation on an Airplane

Cupcake has been singing to me and being even more goofy than usual all day.  I keep telling her that something is wrong with her.  But she denies it, so I’ll have to wait a few more days before I can perform an intervention. 

Today’s Exploit:

During my flight from Denver to Seattle I woke up in time to see the snow over Utah.  My neighbor was using her digital camera to film sections and take pictures.  

I commented on the view and she proceeded to tell me the story of her entire life.  

But she spent 42 minutes telling me how scared she was to transition from her rusty trusty 35mm camera to her new-5-years-ago digital camera.  She told me about forcing herself to only take the digital on her trip to Colorado where she’d lived for 7 years.  

I then learned some other random stuff about her job at NASA and living in Virginia.  She told me about getting a divorce and going back to Estes Park after 14 years.

Then she decided I needed to see every picture on her camera with a detailed description.  ...But it did make the flight go faster.  And she had some pretty amazing shots of the view from her front window.  Of the ocean.  I think I might need to move there.

Where the Birds Have Gone

I made Pitas today.  They were amazing!

Today’s Exploit:

Yesterday we took the extra futon out of storage so that Cupcake could “camp out”.  We pulled it away from the wall to find this:

Me:  Oh, my goodness!

Cupcake:  AAAAHHHHH!!  It’s mice! (Runs away)

Me:  It’s birds!

Cupcake:  Are you sure?  I was sure mice were going to chase us.

Me:  Yep, birds.  Listen to them cheep.

It’s quite an impressive nest.  

And now I know why the birds abandoned that minuscule little nest on my porch light.

The Tickle Monster

I made some Blackberry-Cream cheese Coffee Cakelets a while ago.  I liked the blackberries.

Today’s Exploit:

When I arrived in Washington I had to rent a car.  Naturally the only one available was a small red one.  Also it was an automatic.  It was a fun trip through town, especially when I discovered how delicate the brakes were when I tried to find the clutch to stop for a stop sign.

But the whiplash is finally going away.

I drove along a lovely road through the mountains and along the river to get to Catherine and Paul’s little hideaway.  When I arrived I received the full welcoming committee.  Eli and Cavan came running out, along with Catherine behind them and China (Cheena?  I dont’ know how they spell her name) barking at me.

I gave them great big hugs and they immediately asked if I would play Tickle Monster with them.

Tickle Monster is a tag game where I am always it, and if I catch someone I get to tickle them as much as I want.  It was pretty fun, until they started getting tired and named every object in the yard “base”.   

After dinner and another game of Tickle Monster, and a bath I read a bedtime story.  They chose The Tickle Monster.  Another excuse for me to tickle them.  

Rainy Day Crumpets

I’m back!

I was going to be good and write more posts before I went to Washington to see Eli and Cavan, but Betty-Sue broke.  She got a really bad virus and the IT people had to keep her for a week to make her healthy again.  

Today’s Exploit:

My sister is here to visit.  And get into shape for fire season.  She wanted to spend days running and laying in the sun.  

So, naturally, it has been cloudy and rainy most of the time.  And she’s hurt.  

Therefore she is currently wrapped in a blanket, reading on my futon out on the porch and waiting for the crumpets to rise.  Because it is still far warmer here than in Wyoming.  I heard it was supposed to snow all week there.

She was being overly attentive to the yeast, so I told her to leave it alone.  She took that as an instruction to read her book.

Please Don’t Call Me That, I’m Not That Old

I’m so proud of myself. I just made a menu and grocery list for an entire week! That has never happened before in my life.

Unless you count planning for Thanksgiving as planning for a week. It makes enough food for a week.

Today’s Exploit:

Have I ever mentioned that I hate being called Ma’am?

Well I do.

And I can’t get away from it.

Everyone and their dog says Ma’am automatically here.

I can handle Darlin’ and even don’t hate Baby-doll, but Ma’am…

When I first started working here it made me still want to jump out of a tall, tall window. Since it happens 48 million times a day, I’ve learned to tolerate it. To the point that I only grit my teeth. Every so often I try to ask the rig hands not to Ma’am me. It goes something like this:

Them: …, Ma’am.

Me: Please don’t call me Ma’am.

Them: Yes, Ma’am

Me: BIG sigh.

It’s on my hate list right below the heat. And just above the 60 mph wind when I try to play Ultimate Frisbee.

Dorothy, You Lost Your Hair

Holey Cheezits, it’s May!

And I think I survived my dance performance, I’ll let you know for sure in a day or two.

Today’s Exploit:

One of the DDs just came in and sat down, kicking his heels against the bench. Then he looked at me, got this goofy look on his face and clicked his heels together mouthing, “there’s no place like home” the requisite three times.

I laughed.

Ronnie: It didn’t work.

Me: They’re not red and sparkly.

Ronnie: Oh.

Me: It’d be awesome if they were.

Ronnie: Yeah, I’d get a lot of compliments if they were.

Me: Hahahaha. I think I want some.